Chapter 15

She stirred her coffee. "So," she said conversationally, looking at Don, "do you feel better now that you know why she left him?"

"I haven't gotten everything, yet. Why did he go back to Amita's?

"Well, Dr. Stevens just left to make his tee time, so we could probably safely sneak back in, if it that's important." When there was no answer, she had to ask. "Why is it that important?"

It was a simple question, but still Don had to think about the answer. "I haven't always been a good brother," he finally began.

Katie rolled her eyes. "You two," she said, "are the closest brothers I have ever seen. Like I said, I have three brothers. When I see you and Charlie together, I want to slap them around a little."

Don smiled. "I hope so." Blushing, he added, "Not that you slap your brothers around…I mean I hope that we are that close. It was hard, growing up. I was five years older, but he was light years ahead of me. I was a kid. Jealous. Confused. I took that out on Charlie."

"What about now?"

"Got worse when our mother got sick. Charlie was always light years ahead mentally, but pretty clueless emotionally. I was already jealous and confused, so I added angry to the mix."

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure. I guess we're both just getting older. Charlie started to catch up, emotionally. And after he started consulting with the FBI, I grew to appreciate the things about him that had always driven me crazy. When he got sick, then he really changed. He almost became a different man through that experience. A lot more open, more mature, more centered, somehow."

"Almost dying can do that to a person." The two sat in silence for awhile. "Okay, so you weren't always a great brother…"

"Oh, right. Well, since our relationship started to change, and especially since I almost lost him last year, I want to be. Maybe I want to make up to him all the grief I caused him earlier. And the only way I know to be good at something is to know as much about it as possible. The more I know about how, why Amita left…"

"…you still won't be able to change it."

Don looked at her sadly. "No, I guess I won't." He decided he had talked enough; it was time to turn the interrogation. "I gather from what you were saying to Charlie that you…um…well, you…"

"…was left at the altar myself?"

Don blushed again. Damn, this woman made him blush a lot. "Well, yeah. You seemed quite familiar with that 'best friends' speech."

She drained her coffee, smiled. She stood then, and offered her hand to Don. "Twice, actually," she said. "I'm not nearly as big a pushover now. Care to take me on?"